The Gold Miner #17

April 24, 2025

THE MOTHER LODE

A short, sweet, and rich summary of what’s happened at the Capitol

With only two weeks until Sine Die, marking the close of the 2025 Colorado legislative session, lawmakers are hurrying to introduce several late bills. Among the anticipated measures is an Artificial Intelligence (AI) bill, which would be a follow-up to last year’s AI legislation aimed at resolving outstanding issues and some potential veto overrides for a social media-related bill and a law that changes open records law.

On Thursday, April 17, a rally organized by concerned parents, activists, and local churches took place on the west steps of the Colorado State Capitol. The event drew attendees from across the state to protest HB25-1312, a bill recently passed by the House and now under Senate consideration. Presented as a transgender rights bill by Democrats, critics argue it undermines parental rights. The bill’s absence from the Senate calendar suggests amendments are likely before further action.

HB25-1321, titled Support Against Adverse Federal Action, has cleared both the House and the Senate Appropriations Committee and is now headed to the Senate floor for debate. This bill allocates $4 million from the “Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act” to the Governor’s Office, enabling the hiring of attorneys to challenge federal actions deemed detrimental to Colorado’s interests.

The issue of legislative vacancies and the vacancy committee process has had significant discussion in recent years, with over 30 current House and/or Senate seats filled through appointments. HB25-1315, recently passed by the House, proposes reforms to this process. The bill retains the vacancy committee, composed solely of party members, but introduces a November primary election open to both party members and unaffiliated voters, mirroring a standard primary.

HJR25-1023 authorizes the Committee on Legal Services to retain counsel to file a lawsuit on behalf of the General Assembly to assess the constitutionality of the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR). Democrats argue that previous TABOR lawsuits were dismissed because the General Assembly was not the plaintiff. Republicans counter that TABOR has been reaffirmed by voters multiple times and should remain intact. The resolution has passed out of committee and awaits a vote on the House floor.

SB25-045, the Single-Payer Study Bill, has passed the Senate and is scheduled for a final House vote in the coming days. The bill tasks the Colorado School of Public Health with studying universal healthcare and drafting related legislation. It also establishes a statewide healthcare analysis collaborative made up of individuals specializing in different areas, to support the study. Republicans have opposed the bill, arguing it is a precursor to single-payer legislation and that universal healthcare is an unviable system, citing past failed attempts.

Since the last Goldminer Issue, several significant campaign announcements occurred:

Senator Michael Bennet has officially declared his candidacy for Governor of Colorado, setting the stage for a Democratic primary contest against current Attorney General Phil Weiser.
Former Congressman Greg Lopez announced his third bid to become the Republican nominee for governor.
State Senator Jeff Bridges formally entered the race for State Treasurer as the Democratic nominee.
Yadira Caraveo, former Congresswoman, announced her campaign to reclaim Colorado’s 8th Congressional District seat, which she lost to Congressman Gabe Evans in the last election.

With the 2026 November elections get closer more announcements are expected and primaries for both parties will be contentious.

BUDGET BONANZA

The Colorado legislature passed a $43.9 billion budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year, addressing a $1.2 billion shortfall primarily driven by rising Medicaid costs. The budget prioritizes funding for health care, K-12 education, and higher education, while making significant cuts to transportation, social programs, and local government funding. Key cuts include $64 million from transportation projects and reductions in severance and marijuana tax revenues for local governments, totaling nearly $140 million. The budget passed the House 43-21 and the Senate 24-11, with most Republicans opposing it, and is currently Governor Jared Polis’ signature. Despite a 3.6% increase in general fund spending, the state faces ongoing structural deficits, with warnings of tougher financial challenges ahead